Greg Lopez is an American politician known for his tenure as the Mayor of Parker, Colorado, in the 1990s, and his subsequent runs for Governor of Colorado in 2018 and 2022, where he was defeated by Walker Stapleton and Heidi Ganahl, respectively. He is the Republican nominee for Colorado's 4th congressional district in a special election.
Born in either 1959 or 1960, Lopez's familial background is rooted in the Latin American immigrant experience, with his parents working as field laborers after moving to the United States. This early life imbued Lopez with a strong work ethic, as he too worked in the fields during his childhood to support his family.
After completing high school, he served in the U.S. Air Force but had to leave four years later due to significant hearing loss incurred while working on the airfields.
Pursuing further education, Lopez attended New Mexico State University at Alamogordo, where he obtained an associate's degree in business administration. His political career began in an unusual fashion; in 1987, motivated by financial issues within his local Homeowners Association (HOA) and a lack of support from the city, Lopez ran for and was elected Mayor of Parker at the age of 27.
Initially elected as a Democrat, he switched to the Republican Party shortly after assuming office. Lopez's career also included a significant appointment in 2008 when President Barack Obama appointed him as the Colorado director of the Small Business Administration (SBA).
However, his tenure at the SBA ended in 2014 when he was forced to resign over issues related to subcontractor payments. Despite these setbacks, Lopez continued to engage in Colorado politics, seeking higher office on multiple occasions.